


In Montfermiel

by Darkhorse



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-03
Updated: 2017-08-03
Packaged: 2018-12-10 19:16:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11698164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkhorse/pseuds/Darkhorse
Summary: In answer to the prompt of Javert rescuing Cosette.





	In Montfermiel

**Author's Note:**

  * For [erinaconyx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/erinaconyx/gifts).



The village was one of those places which had clearly seen better days. There was a grandeur in the buildings which indicated they had once been the homes of rich men,with money to spare for decoration.Javert watched them passing the coach, noting how most of them at least appeared well cared for. Down a side lane he saw a rusted heap and the flash of colour he had been watching for, and rapped on the top of the coach. The driver drew the horse in and he disembarked

“Wait for me here”

“Yes M'suier.”

Slowly he walked down the side street. The colour which had caught his eye was, a painting more deliberate than any others he had seen so far. The building it was attached to clearly had pretensions to being an inn, if it merited such a grand title.Privately he considered chop-house, if that. It was shabby ill kempt, it's paint flaking. His lip curled as he stepped forwards and knocked firmly on the door. The knock rang back hollow and he felt the door shift under it, it was unlocked. He waited a few minutes, listening for noise inside in case the knock should be answered, then pushed the door open with the flat of his hand and entered.It was little better inside, clear of dust was about all he could say, but there was not The slightest effort towards respectability. Until he stood there he had never realized how clean and smart even the poorest of the dock tavern were at msn. This was just lack of effort rather than lack of capabilities. He crossed the room and began to climb the stairs. They were unsteady beneath his feet creeking loudly. As he rounded the corner of the stairs, a copper haired woman appeared at the top of the next flight .

  
"Ah, Monsieur, welcome. May I offer you some food, or a bed for tonight" she smiled in her appearance of politeness "Though you come very early"

  
The manner was a pretence, he'd seen the quick flicker of calculation as she'd looked down at him, taken him in and assess whether to run him off or consider him as a customer. He climbed the last few steps as he answered.

  
"Some directions only Madame. This is Montfermeil? "  
"It is "  She turned bruskly away from him, reaching under a rough cover of fabric on the wall. When her hand return to view Javert saw that it clasped tightly on the upper arm of a small girl.

  
"There you are wretch. Go and get some wood. Monsieur will wish food. Javert stepped to the side to let the girl past but she flattened herself against the wall as if There was no room. Her eyes were fixed on him, in the same way as a mouse might look at a cat until she considered herself out of reach. Then she turned and he heard her feet clattering on the stairs at great pace.

  
He twitched his head in her direction as he turned back to the woman "Your daughter, Madame?"

  
The woman smirked "No, just a charity waif we took on"

  
He paused, considering how to phrase the next question "She seems young to work "

  
"She's twelve. The woman's tone indicated absolutely no care and she began to walk down the stairs "Might I get you some food?" 

Without answering that he followed.  "You have some proof of your guardian, Madame. Child abandonment is a crime.... "

  
"Her mother left her. Now she no longer pays the girl has to earn her way, children eat and we are not made of money Monsieur."

  
Javert forced himself not to react at the wheedling whine her voice had acquired during the last piece. He didn't even think his lips, even though it was tempting, she'd admitted the girl was working. the girl reappeared, her arms laden with logs. He watched her as she climbed the stairs, noting a slight resemblance to the whore the mayor had taken on. She didn't look anything close to twelve, in fact she looked half that. He stepped down the stairs towards her and she flinched away, eyes darting between him and the woman. He looked to the hostess "Thank you, Madame. I assume you have proof of the girls age if not your guardian." 

  
The woman blinked, her face becoming more calculating " No, Monsiuer. Come, allow me to make you a omelette ."  
He shook his head "Non, merci I must be going. He strode down the stairs. The small girl was crouched by the fireplace, unloading her logs. He watched, aware the woman would follow him down (put age bit here)   
Girl he head snapped around, eyes widening. He closed the gap between them, speaking softly "They treat you well here?   
Her eyes darted to the stairs was an answer in itself, but she nodded   
He pressed you are happy her? Another wary head gesture and her eyes flicked to the side to where a whip hung on the wall by a nail.

There was the patter of feet and a young girl ran down the stairs. The girl beside him tried to make herself as small as possible, using him as something to hide behind 

“Bonjour Monsieur”

He inclined his head, taking in the sharp contrast. The new girl was dressed very well, which appeared as an extravagance by contrast of the rags

“Are you done yet, the floor needs sweeping”

At last the woman had come down the stairs, and while she placed a fond arm on the smartly dressed girl’s shoulder, seeming motherly for a bare moment, the words were cold and callous.

On some instinct javert put out a hand and stopped the girl at his feet as she moved to leave the fireplace. She flinched and cowered as he touched her. That made up his mind

“Come with me” he turned to the door, partially  towing her with him

Behind him the daughter started to screech “Papa, Papa, he’s taking Cosette”

Well at least he knew the girl’s name now.

An oily voice slithered out behind him “Monsieur, might i ask what you are doing, the girl is in our care”

He turned and saw exactly what he expected to see, a weasel of a man “Yet you have no proof of that fact. As such the girl is abandoned and it is part of the duties of the police to apprehend such and take them to suitable institutions. It is also quite clear that you do not care for the girl  in the slightest and even in state fosters that is despised by the goodwives. I see no reason why it should be tolerated with wards of the state illegally left in the hands of such sharpsters of yourself .” 

Javert spun on his heel and walked out onto the street, the girl running at his side. The driver of the carriage saw them coming and leapt down to open the door. When they reached it Javert reached down and swung the girl inside, she was as light as she’d looked in the inn, all bones and not much of that, when it came to it.

“To Montreuil-sur-mer!”

He leapt inside and closed the door with a loud slam. Only then did he look back down the street. The innkeeper was racing out the street, although he seemed to have slowed when he saw the carriage. He bangged on the roof and the carriage began to move, rattling and creaking as it did so. The girl clutched at the seat, seeking a purchase, clearly terrified of falling from the seat. He glanced out the window to see the shape of the innkeeper fall into the distance. The girl, Cosette, he forcibly reminded himself sat on the seat, her eyes wide, failing to suppress squeaks of fear as it jolted. As she realised his gazed was fixed on her, she once again tried to cower down and escape notice 

“Do you know what i am”

Cosette shook her head, staring at the floor, as if that would help her escape notice

“An inspector in the French Police” The girl started to shake and he wondered what she had been told “You are not going back there”

He almost smiled at the shy glance up and the absolute disbelief on the girl’s face at that “Where should I go Monsieur, to prison?”

Damn them all “You will come with me to the town where i am posted. Then the mayor will take care of you”

He looked back out the window and Cosette didn’t ask another question. The woods rolled past as he slowly thought back over his actions. What had possessed him to step in. Yes the legal power was there, but it was stretched thin in his actions, more through implication than actuality. The mayor’s saintly rescuing nature rubbing off on him. He suppressed a shudder, perish the thought.

And now he had the child, he hadn't a clue what to do with her. Monsieur Madeleine would know, he could rely on the mayor to have philanthropic ideas . The people loved him for it and the town prospered. But  to his eyes the mayor had seemed too upright as if he had something to hide. The documents he had gone to paris to look at, declaring Jean Valjean a recidivist, his suspicions as to the mayor. And now he would need the mayor’s help with the girl, who was now creeping forwards to peer out the window.

* * *

 

Cosette peered as they rolled into the town 

“This is Montreuil-sur-mer, your mother is here”

“Maman?”

He nodded, wondering if she even remembered her mother. Few people were paying attention to the carriage, to busy with their business. It drew up in front of the Hotel de Ville. He stepped down, then lifted Cosette down besides him. Now they would have the attentions of every gossip in the town.

“Stay close to me” They crossed the last section of the square and climbed the steps into the entrance hall “I Wish to see the mayor”. The secretary gave him a long look,a sceptical look, but rose from his desk and strode up the stairs. Javert felt Cosette at his back, and glanced down to see her looking around at the room. No doubt it was the first non shabby place she could remember.

“Monsieur le maire will see you” the secretary had returned.

Gently he reached down and touched Cosette’s shoulder, leading her up the stairs. With every step his boots felt heavier and heavier. The last time he and Monsieur Madeleine had stood face to face had been in the argument over this girl’s mother when he had been shamed in front of his own officers, on points of the law. And in pique he had stormed off the paris to search the records. He took a deep breath when they reached the landing, then knocked on the door.

"Enter" The mayor's voice was nothing more than curt and formal. He pushed open the door and entered, guiding Cosette with him. The mayor's head was bent over his desk, apparently deeply engrossed in his work. Javert set his feet square and saluted. The mayor did not appear to notice. It was a deliberate ploy to remind him of his place, and one he acknowledged he fully deserved.

Eventually the mayor raised his head, his eyes displaying a brief flash of surprise when he saw Cosette, then returned to coolness

"I trust you have an explanation for your absence and your companion"

“My absence was due to unforeseen business in Paris. The girl” He glanced down at Cosette “She is the woman Fantine’s child. I found her in the in at Montfermeil as she said.” He managed with a bit of side stepping to persuade the girl in front of him. She turned her head away and pressed against him, trying to hide under his coat.

Slowly the mayor rose to his feet, walking around the desk and crouching in front of her. Javert saw him take in the rags, her thin state, the visible bruises

“Cosette” When the mayor spoke his voice was as gentle as Javert had ever heard it “Would you like a doll?”

Slowly Cosette turned her head, blinking “Yes Monsieur… I have never had a doll as Ponine and Zelma did, only a little sword this big.” She stuck out her little finger

The mayor straightened up and went to his coat, reaching inside the pocket. Javert watched, curious and felt Cosette detach herself, leaning forward to see for herself. 

When the mayor withdrew his hands, it was holding a little grass plaited doll, which he offered with all the solemnity of the priest and the host “Here”

“Thank you Monsieur” The joy in Cosette’s face as she took the doll, cradling it in her arms, Javert was not sure he had words for it. 

“Wait here with here” Madeleine’s voice was low, meant for his own ears. With nothing more the mayor strode out of the room, and he heard footsteps down the stairs. Cosette was oblivious, entirely focused on her doll

* * *

 

When the mayor returned it was with Sister Perpetue in tow and a package of clothes in his arms

“Cosette, the Sister here will help you put these new clothes. Then we will go and see your mother.”

Cosette had moved to hide behind him at their entrance, but she edged out again at the kind words, offering an awkward nod.

“Javert a word with you outside” He inclined his head and followed the mayor out onto the landing. After checking the door was firmly shut the mayor turned to him “Fantine believes her child has been seriously ill but otherwise well cared for” There was such a deep look of sorrow on his face, it hurt Javert’s heart in a way he had never felt before “I fear the shock of the truth would kill her. So we will keep that pretence. Do you understand?”

He bowed his head in obedience “Yes, Monsieur le maire”

They lapsed in silence, but he was aware of a scrutineering look being directed at him while they waited. He did not give the mayor the satisfaction of reacting. It was part of him to keep up the inscrutability. Let the mayor think what he would.

 

Sister Perpetue opened the door, then stepped aside. If he had not known it, he might not have recognised Cosette. The dress hid some of the thinness and gave her the appearance of many of the town children whose parents were short of money but still trying to dress them well, respectability.

“Come Cosette” The mayor extended a hand ”I will take you to your mother”

Instead of stepping towards the mayor, Javert found he was the focus of the girl’s attention, and he gave her a short nod. With that permission she followed the mayor, but she glanced back every few steps, hesitating to start down the stairs and go out of his sight. Slowly, he found himself following them down the stairs and out into the town 

In the open it was more natural to come up to the mayor's level, as Madeleine had always been asking him to do, and he found that the pair of them were flanking Cosette on either of her sides as they walked through the town. He spared a brief though to what their little group would look like to the townsfolk as they walked through, the disagreement between himself and the mayor had been common knowledge and gossip fodder from about five minutes after it had happened, yet now here they were walking in harmony , he pushed it away and focused his attention on the one sided conversation between the mayor and Cosette, as he pointed out the key parts of the town, the hospital the factory the church...

“And see Cosette there is where you will go to school”

“’Ponine and Zelma never went to school Monsieur” Cosette’s tone was enigmatic, Javert couldn’t tell whether she wished to go to school, or though herself not good enough because those two girls had gone.

“But you will go” The mayor’s voice was so strong and earnest Javert glanced at him. The earnestness was mirrored on his face. He truly intended to send Cosette to school. Would he never cease the philanthropy?

Eventually Madeleine lead them to the infirmary, and up the stairs to the small room where Javert knew Fantine lay. He watched as the mayor crouched down, straightening the few parts of Cosette’s new clothes which had become disarrayed.

“Now, you may see your mother. She has waited a long time to see you”

Surprisingly Cosette was first to step forward as the mayor opened the door. Javert stepped back out of sight, but still caught a brief glimpse of Fantine, pale and coughing on the bed. The door closed. He knew he would not be welcome in there. 

.Madeleine had taken a liking to Cosette, and seemed to have plans for her improvement already. She would be far better off with the respected mayor as a guardian than with him, the police officer that no one liked. And the mayor had the income to keep her, he, he realised, could just manage the rent of his garret rooms. He had done what he could, now she had the mayor… and he had back log work to catch up on. He turned away from the door and walked back out of the infirmary towards the police station.

**Author's Note:**

> Didn't quite get to what happens next, but I will write you more, I promise


End file.
